402 FRAGMENTS OF SCIENCE. 



discern the quality which, compounded with his rare 

 intellectual power, made Faraday a great experimental 

 philosopher. This was his desire to see facts, and not 

 to rest contented with the descriptions of them. He 

 frequently pits the eye against the ear, and affirms the 

 enormous superiority of the organ of vision. Late in 

 life I have heard him say that he could never fully 

 understand an experiment until he had seen it. But 

 he did not confine himself to experiment. He aspired 

 to be a teacher, and reflected and wrote upon the 

 method of scientific exposition. ' A lecturer,' he ob- 

 serves, ' should appear easy and collected, undaunted 

 and unconcerned:' still 'his whole behaviour should 

 evince respect for his audience.' These recommenda- 

 tions were afterwards in great part embodied by him- 

 self. I doubt his ' unconcern,' but his fearlessness was 

 often manifested. It used to rise within him as a wave, 

 which carried both him and his audience along with 

 it. On rare occasions also, when he felt himself and 

 his subject hopelessly unintelligible, he suddenly 

 evoked a certain recklessness of thought, and, without 

 halting to extricate his bewildered followers, he would 

 dash alone through the jungle into which he had un- 

 wittingly led them; thus saving them from ennui by 

 the exhibition of a vigour which, for the time being, 

 they could neither share nor comprehend. 



In October, 1813, he quitted England with Sir 

 Humphry and Lady Davy. During his absence he kept 

 a journal, from which copious and interesting extracts 

 have been made by Dr. Bence Jones. Davy was con- 

 siderate, preferring at times to be his own servant 

 rather than impose on Faraday duties which he dis- 

 liked. But Lady Davy was the reverse. She treated 

 him as an underling; he chafed under the treatment, 

 and was often on the point of returning home. They 



